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The Asian Development Bank and Vanuatu have signed an agreement for a $US15.1 million project to increase the availability of renewable energy on Malekula and Espiritu Santo. The loan and grant agreement is for the Vanuatu Energy Access Project. The ADB's James Lynch said the project will deliver an increased supply of clean, renewable electricity to households in Malekula and Espiritu Santo and have a positive effect on rural livelihoods.

Police in French Polynesia have taken a further five people into custody in an ongoing probe of a methamphetamine distribution network. This comes a week after police seized a record 21 kilogrammes of methamphetamine. In this week's raids, a further 100 grams of the drug was found as well as $US600,000 in cash. Several luxury vehicles have also been seized.

National Capital District police Metropolitan Superintendent Benjamin Turi has been suspended for 21 days over “serious disciplinary” matters, it has been confirmed. Deputy Police Commissioner and Chief of Police Operations Jim Andrews said last night: “I confirm that I have suspended Metropolitan Superintendent NCD Chief Superintendent Ben Turi today (yesterday) at 1pm for a period of 21 days over allegations of serious disciplinary offences.”

Samoa has made considerable progress in recent years in getting businesses and consumers online but still faces challenges before being fully ready to benefit from e-commerce, an UNCTAD assessment of the country says. Made up of eight islands sitting halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, the country's isolation fuels high import prices and creates challenges for Samoan entrepreneurs to access global markets and grow their businesses.

The French Polynesian president Edouard Fritch says he has asked the French UN ambassador to join him at next year's decolonisation talks about Tahiti in New York. France has been boycotting the UN decolonisation committee since 2013 when the UN General Assembly reinscribed French Polynesia on the list of non-self-governing territories.

The National Federation Party has called on the Fiji Police Force to stop the alleged intimidation of trade union executives after their decision to hold a secret ballot to seek mandate for strike action. In a statement, NFP leader Professor Biman Prasad said the party would alert the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on the matter. He claimed the party had viewed correspondence from the Fiji Public Service Association to the Public Services International informing them that two of its union executives were interviewed by police and had emails and newsletters confiscated.

Workers of Frabelle PNG Ltd in Lae staged a protest yesterday demanding a meaningful pay rise and benefits in their health and well-being. The strike saw more than 2000 workers from all sections walking off their jobs. All operations at the fish-processing company were put on hold for the whole day. Attempts to get information on what the protest cost in terms of business were unsuccessful.

While the Ambae volcano is calming down, the work to distribute relief supplies is ongoing to support the people of Ambae in evacuation centers on Maewo, Santo, and Pentecost. The Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Choules has landed its trucks and amphibious crafts on Maewo with rice, water, tarpaulins, tents, large marques, kitchen items, toilet seats, and 1000 liter water tanks.

A former Tongan cabinet minister says he is standing as an independent in next month's elections but can see party politics emerging in the near future. 'Aisake Eke served as finance minister in successive governments before being sacked by prime minister 'Akilisi Pohiva for abstaining in a vote of no-confidence against Mr Pohiva.

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.